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THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 



THE 
DIVINE ART OF LIVING 



BY 

KATHLEEN M. H. BESLY 




CHICAGO 

RAND McNALLY & COMPANY 

1917 



COPYRIGHT, 191 7. BY 
KATHLEEN M. H. BESLY 






hi 

MAR 24 1917 



r 



PRESS OF 

Hand McNally &l Company 



©C/.A457609 



CONTENTS 

Page 

The Omnipresence 11 

Love 17 

Faith 23 

Living the True Life 29 

Knowledge and Good Judgment . .37 

Casting Out Fear 47 

Healing 53 

The Power of the Word 61 

Forgiveness 69 

Prayer 77 

Concentration 85 

Heaven and Hell 93 



FOREWORD 

T Y THAT we give to life we may have in 
* * return. We may have happiness 
if we give happiness to others. We may 
have sorrow if we extend sorrow to those 
about us. 

Right living goes with right thinking. 
The spoken word is the outward mani- 
festation of the power of thought. As 
every act is preceded by thought, it fol- 
lows that thought is real, and that if it 
is right, evil cannot follow. 

This little book has been planned as a 
help and guide for those who would have 
a method of living from which they may 
draw the maximum of happiness and 
interest. If it brings a tithe of that 
result to those who read, the author's 
work will have been richly rewarded. 

K. M, H. B. 



\ 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 



\ 



OMNIPRESENCE 

IN EVERY Christian church stands the 
* doctrine that God is omnipresent, 
omnipotent and omniscient. 

The very foundation stone of our 
teaching is the omnipresence of the Holy 
Spirit, and this we accept without re- 
serve. 

We accept the word in its full mean- 
ing as defined, "Presence in every place 
at the same time, unbounded, universal 
presence, ubiquity." 

We know that the Holy Spirit is every- 
where and in everything. We know that 
the Holy Spirit is the creator and must 
be in the creation that never ends. His 
word is the power that makes all things. 

In the first chapter of Genesis is re- 
corded, "And God said let there be light 
and there was light." The record of 
11 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

each act of creation is prefaced by the 
words, "And God said." 

The creative force is thus expressed by 
the word. A word is merely the expres- 
sion of thought, Thought is the power. 

God created this wonderful universe 
from his own substance, from Spirit. 
He put Himself into everything He 
created and is therefore omnipresent and 
in everything. Necessarily this omni- 
present spirit in everything is God; but 
at this point arises the question, If God 
the good is omnipresent, why is there 
evil in the world? 

Why, it is asked, are there sin, sickness 
and death, wars, pestilence and misery? 

The answer is, that these things which 
seem so dreadful to our senses are not 
realities. When we have learned to see 
only good, these manifestations will 
cease. All will disappear when we come 
to a full realization of the Omnipresence. 
12 



OMNIPRESENCE 

Then we will overcome sin and its results, 
sickness and death. 

There is no real death. Life is omni- 
present because God is life. After our 
bodies have been given up, indeed, we 
think we shall live more intensely than 
before. 

The Infinite Omnipresence is love. 
Love cannot exist with hate. Hate and 
fear and all horrors are cast out by love 
just as a light turned on in a room casts 
out darkness. 

It is only the external or outer man that 
suffers the horrors of war and starvation 
and the multitude of human ills. Some 
day he will awaken to the blessings of 
peace, harmony and brotherly love. 
This will come with the growth of faith 
in the Omnipresent Good. Meanwhile, 
as is our duty, we gladly send forth heal- 
ing thoughts and gifts of money, food 
and clothing to alleviate suffering. 
13 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

Buckle, in his History of Civilization, 
says that God is just as civilized as the 
people who worship him. Putting this 
thought in another way, Ingersoll said: 

"Man created God in his own image 
and likeness." 

These sayings which shock some people 
are quite true. People who are swayed 
by human passions create a god of their 
own kind. If we are cruel and require 
human sacrifices we worship a god who 
requires such sacrifices. 

The ancient Greeks loved pleasure and 
beauty and so created gods who typified 
these desires. The Puritans who came 
to America for religious freedom wor- 
shipped a God who stood for austerity, 
stern justice and hard labor. 

We believe that the Spiritual light 
shines for each and all of us but that it 
can be seen only by those whose spiritual 
eyes are open. 

14 



OMNIPRESENCE 

As the evidence of the Omnipresence 
grows clearer we approach a realization 
of the importance of making this truth 
a working basis for the conduct of our 
lives. As we are creatures of the Holy 
Spirit, so we are a part of the Holy 
Spirit. It is our duty then to live accord- 
ing to the law of our creation. This is 
the foundation stone of our work and of 
our play and we must take it into every 
nook and corner of our lives. 



13 



LOV|E 

HPHE essence of all religion is love. If 
* we had perfect and universal love, 
we would have realized all of the teach- 
ings of Jesus. The world would be rid 
of all evil. 

St. Paul has given the clearest and most 
wonderful analysis of love in the thir- 
teenth chapter of First Corinthians. 
Paul at that writing was an old man. 
He had endured many trials. His soul 
had passed through the crucible of fire. 
He had been the author of massacres 
and tortures. 

He was present at the stoning of 
Stephen. His hands were stained with 
blood when he was converted on the road 
to Damascus. 

We must know then that Paul was 
fairly inspired when he wrote this letter 
17 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

to the Corinthians, and we must con- 
clude that his definition of love was the 
result of his own wonderful experience. 

Paul tells us that love is the combina- 
tion of nine qualities, patience, kindness, 
generosity, humility, courtesy, unselfish- 
ness, good temper, guilelessness and 
sincerity. 

All of these qualities may be acquired 
by earnest, persevering effort. The de- 
gree of happiness resultant is dependant 
wholly upon the strength of effort. 

Patience is a rare and noble quality, 
and difficult for most of us. It may be 
acquired by the desire along with con- 
stant watchfulness. We often yield to 
impatience with what we regard as stu- 
pidity in others, forgetting that we our- 
selves are often stupid. 

Kindness is, of course, an integral part 
of love. It goes with patience. Kind- 
ness that is doleful or studied is of little 
18 



LOVE 

value. It is the kindness that comes 
spontaneously that upbuilds character. 
Out of it come joy and optimism. As 
has been said, the thought that precedes 
the act is the vital thing. Thus, when we 
constantly cultivate kind thoughts, kind 
acts follow. 

Generosity does not lie wholly in the 
gifts of money or things. We can readily 
recall men and women who make large 
gifts to philanthropy because by so doing 
they may advance to a higher place in 
what is known as fashionable society. 
That purpose is altogether selfish. 

Real generosity is found in sacrifice, in 
the giving of ourselves in loving service 
and in extending strong, helpful thoughts. 

True humility lies in the knowledge 
that all power comes from God, and in 
giving credit to the Infinite Spirit for all 
good. We are the children of God, but 
we must realize our limitations. "Of 
19 



\ 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

myself I can do nothing.' ' We know 
that all things are possible to God and 
that God is omnipresent in each one of 
us as well as everywhere. 

Courtesy is love manifested in our rela- 
tions with one another. It means gen- 
tleness of speech and thought, the absence 
of rudeness, the employment of kindness 
and consideration in the conduct of the 
daily affairs of life. A false courtesy is 
that which comes alone from the cold and 
trained form of education and acts auto- 
matically. A truly courteous man or 
woman is one possessed of a loving spirit, 
always seeking to be helpful. 

Unselfishness requires nothing in return 
for service. One truly unselfish gives 
freely of everything without thought of 
the value, without expectation or hope of 
gratitude. The act of giving brings its 
own joy and happiness. 

A fundamental of good character is 
20 



LOVE 

good temper. It should go without say- 
ing that a man with a good temper is 
much better loved and served than one 
with a bad temper. It does not follow 
that a good tempered man or woman is 
more easily deceived or used. Neither 
should a stern man command more 
respect. 

More important yet, one who habit- 
ually controls his temper finds it easier 
to control others and thus adds a prac- 
tical side to general efficiency. 

Guilelessness and sincerity imply up- 
rightness, the absence of evil or impure 
thoughts, honest, genuine endeavor to 
think and act on the lines of absolute 
truth and honor. 

Besides these nine qualities of love, 
there is an almost indefinable value that 
we might compare with the light that 
makes the colors of the prism visible. 
It is the spirit of joy that comes with well 
21 

; 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

doing, the light that spreads happiness 
and gladness to others. 

The path of duty need not lead along 
such dark and sombre ways as our Puri- 
tan fathers followed. Rather should it 
be illumined by radiant cheerfulness. 

Love has been outlined as the constant 
practice of simple, homely virtues. It 
eases all burdens and makes living an 
endless joy. If we follow its way we 
have learned the most important lesson 
of life. 



21 



FAITH 

A FTER the lapse of many centuries, 
the best definition of faith is found 
in the Scriptures. 

" Faith," says Paul, "is the substance 
of things hoped for, the evidence of 
things unseen/ ' 

It has been further defined as an assent 
to a truth, the evidence of which is not 
complete. Thus Lowell has said that, 
"science was faith once." The faith of 
Columbus led him to the discovery of a 
new world. Almost every great inven- 
tion may be traced to the faith of the 
inventor. 

The farmer sows his seed and has faith 
that the ripened grain will follow, though 
he is wholly unable to prove the source 
of the process. The child lacking faith 
digs up his seed to see if it has taken root. 
23 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

When we are children in the Truth we 
do not trust wholly to divine power; we 
impatiently root out our seeds. We can- 
not quite trust to the word but seek 
other means to bring forth the harvest, 
and fail. 

After many trials we learn the power 
of Divine love by actual experience; we 
wait for the harvest. We learn that 
we must not be impatient but must trust 
wholly to the Infinite Spirit. 

Thus our faith becomes grounded and 
a part of ourselves. If we have faith we 
shall find the substance and the things 
hoped for shall come into our consci- 
ousness. 

Emily Cady says, "Faith takes hold 
of the substance of things hoped for and 
brings into evidence or visibility the 
things not seen." 

So it is with us when we go to sleep at 
night. We take hold of the substance 
24 



FAITH 

and bring it into evidence in the morning 
when we awaken with new vigor for the 
day's work. We have faith that God will 
work this change. 

That is the faith of which Emerson 
speaks when he says: 

"The man who knows the law is sure 
that his welfare is dear to the heart of 
Being; he believes that he cannot escape 
from his God." 

To manifest the fruits of faith we must 
have absolute confidence in our belief. 
When Peter was certain that, like his 
Master, he could walk upon the water, 
he succeeded. When a doubt arose in 
his mind he began to sink and reached 
for the assistance of the Master's hand. 

The actor who has confidence and is 
sure of his part succeeds; the one who is 
uncertain and fearful fails. 

A common experience with all is that 
we accomplish when we have neither 
25 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

doubt nor hesitation and are sure of our- 
selves. If we have faith in a cause, we 
can interest and convince others. On 
the contrary, if our faith is lacking, so 
we lack the power of winning advocates. 

The elemental requisite of a successful 
salesman is faith with enthusiasm. Any 
great employer will tell you that. 

Jesus of Nazareth, when healing the 
sick, often said: 

"According to thy faith be it done 
unto Thee/' 

To His somewhat self-sufficient dis- 
ciples who asked why they had failed, He 
replied: 

"Because of your little faith." 

Yet these same disciples succeeded 
when charged with the dynamic force of 
the faith of Jesus. When their faith was 
great, other needs were supplied and 
their healing was marvelous. 

The early Christians for three hundred 
26 



FAITH 

years healed the sick and did all the work 
taught by Christ without a thought of 
self or reward. This power lessened and 
finally vanished when luxury, greed for 
gold, and lust for worldly power pos- 
sessed the Christian Church. 

That teaching of Christ was true and 
vital. It should be our duty and our 
desire to increase our faith to the end that 
we may do the work of the Master. All 
efforts should be concentrated for that 
purpose. 

There is in progress a great world 
awakening to the truth that practical 
Christianity is to be had when we make 
our lives Christ-like. 

Jesus was a good teacher and a wise 
philosopher. He gave full instructions. 
If we fail to follow them it is because of 
our little faith. 



27 



LIVING THE TRUE LIFE 

\V 7ITH each of us there is the strong 
* * desire to lead the life that holds 
the greatest sum of happiness. 

What is that life? Is it the life of 
social dissipation or that of study or 
sensual indulgence? Or- is it the spiritual 
life? 

Those who have endured many trials 
and sorrows and have viewed life from 
many points, have decided that social 
dissipation is hollow, that study of 
material science unelevated by spiritual 
science is fruitless, that a life of sensual 
indulgence is followed only by misery and 
degradation. 

The conclusion reached is that the only 
life worth living and worth while is the 
spiritual life. If that is true, it is impor- 
tant above all things for us to learn the 
29 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

meaning of the spiritual life and how to 
live it. 

At the beginning, we must know that 
we must live to our highest and do our 
best in the circumstances in which we 
are placed. Associated with this effort 
must be our realization of the Omnipres- 
ence of God. If God is omnipresent 
there can be no separation between the 
material and spiritual. 

With this as an accepted view, we can- 
not think one thing more wonderful than 
another because God, the Infinite Per- 
fection, is in and of everything. 

People often complain of the monotony 
of life. The attitude toward life depends 
wholly upon the individual. The inter- 
est is as one makes it. There need be 
nothing monotonous in living life as we 
find it. 

There are things of wonderful interest 
all about us. The renewal of the earth 
30 



LIVING THE TRUE LIFE 

each spring, the change of the seasons, 
the glory of light and shade, the wonder 
of color that changes with the light — all 
these are of marvelous interest to the 
observant mind. Above all is the joy 
of helping one's friends and neighbors, or 
strangers. 

The possibilities of the new day are 
infinite. If one chooses, there need be 
nothing tiresome or monotonous in one's 
daily existence. A cultivated interest in 
the lives and things surrounding us gives 
the spirit of youth and holds back age. 

We make our own lives and create our 
own atmosphere. The spoken word, 
which is the thought expressed, is the 
creative power. If we really desire to 
live the true life, we must guard our 
words carefully and send them to create 
right conditions. It is both foolish and 
harmful to give expression to depressive 
thoughts, just as it is to refer to disease 
31 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

or fear because these unfortunate expres- 
sions create like conditions. 

A beautiful faith is the rock foundation 
for the right method of living, the faith 
that illumines our daily life, our home 
and our environment. The true spiritu- 
ality is practical, useful in all immediate 
and daily affairs of life. It is not vague 
or misty, to be merely dreamed of, or to 
be viewed only as a subject for poets or 
singers. 

Spirituality, rightly applied, enters 
most helpfully into all details and occu- 
pations of life. We have so many hours 
in each day. We desire to divide our 
duties properly between these hours, giv- 
ing time for everything in the day's work. 

The most necessary and important 
apportionment of time is that which is 
given to silent spiritual meditation. 
That should be a form of preparation 
for work. 

32 



LIVING THE TRUE LIFE 

A man's daily business at his office can 
be made a channel of spiritual power if 
he consecrates each minute of time to the 
highest expression of spiritual life of 
which he is capable, always doing his 
work from the highest and most honor- 
able standpoint. 

The same method may be applied 
to every form of occupation, house- 
work, typewriting, the care of children. 
Brother Lawrence, in his kitchen, scrub- 
bing his pots and pans or mixing his 
sauces, did it all for the glory of God, and 
his life was truly spiritual. 

We need sleep and recreation and exer- 
cise. These elements of our daily life 
are of the greatest benefit only when 
consecrated to the highest purpose, and 
this can be done only when the spiritual 
thought is right. 

Living in this constant thought of the 
omnipresence of the Spirit, we must, as 
33 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

a logical consequence, cast our fear. We 
cannot fear anything or anybody if we 
have the full realization that God is 
everywhere, that God is love and that 
love is the great power of life. Here it 
may be said again that it is well to read 
often and to remember the wonderful 
thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians 
and make our daily life according to its 
teaching. 

If we follow the rule of right thinking 
we shall obey the command, "Pray with- 
out ceasing." Our whole life will be a 
prayer, a song of praise to the giver of 
all life, a joyous, happy realization of 
one-ness with the Holy Spirit. That is 
the true prayer. 

Prayer is the food of the soul and is 
more necessary to us than physical food. 

This teaching, while called The New 
Thought, is not new. It is as old as 
thought. It has been practiced in the 
34 



LIVING THE TRUE LIFE 

oldest religions. The only new thing 
is that it has been made to fit the needs 
of our new, modern life. It is a simple, 
practical Christianity, and like every- 
thing else taught by Jesus is easily clear 
to our understanding. 

The fruits of this teaching we may 
acquire only by effort, by constant daily 
practice. If we fall short of our ideals, 
let us not be discouraged. Instead of 
groaning when we fail, let us begin again 
with the thought that there is always 
progress made with every renewed effort, 
even if the gain is not always apparent. 



35 



KNOWLEDGE AND GOOD 
JUDGMENT 

OPIRITUAL understanding is a deep, 
^ thorough consciousness, and realiza- 
tion of the oneness of one's self with the 
Father. 

The vital living truth that rules our 
lives is found when we grasp this great 
idea of the omnipresence of the Holy 
Spirit. 

The understanding or knowledge that 
we are striving for is spiritual and not 
intellectual. Much confusion and error 
arise from failure to grasp this distinc- 
tion. 

In the process of acquiring this spiritual 
understanding, we may begin with exter- 
nals and learn to be honest in, say, money 
matters. Then we go a step farther and 
learn to be honest in our souls, honest in 
37 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

every thought concerning God and man 
and ourselves. 

We must study our desires and our 
thoughts and learn to view everything 
from the spiritual standpoint. If we do 
this rightly, we will come to know that 
our bodies are the temples of the spirit. 

To be honest with one's self is not 
easy, and can be accomplished only by 
tireless effort. 

Emerson in speaking of the Infinite 
Power, the Holy Spirit, says: 

"This energy does not descend into 
individual life on any other condition 
than entire possession. It comes to the 
lowly and simple; it comes to whomso- 
ever will put off what is foreign and 
proud; it comes as insight; it comes as 
serenity and grandeur. When we see 
those whom it inhabits we are apprised 
of new degrees of greatness. From that 
inspiration the man comes back with a 
38 



KNOWLEDGE AND GOOD JUDGMENT 

changed tone. He does not talk to men 
with an eye to their opinion, he is plain 
and true; has no rose color, no fine 
friends, no adventures, does not want 
admiration, dwells in the hour that 
now is." 

This seems a true picture of wisdom. 
Let us study it often, to the end that we 
may acquire its full meaning. 

Among the wise men of whom we have 
record is Brother Lawrence, who was 
unlettered and began life in a nobleman's 
house in Paris. 

Brother Lawrence was struck by the 
power of God. When looking at a leafless 
tree he realized, with wonder, how it 
would be clothed again and again by the 
goodness of the spirit. He became filled 
with a desire to devote his life to the ser- 
vice of God, and, according to the custom 
of his time, he entered a convent. There, 
in the humble place of cook to a large 
39 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

community of monks, he practiced the 
presence of God constantly and in his 
quiet way acquired wisdom and became 
a great power. 

The abbot of Brother Lawrence's 
monastery, the grand princes of the 
church, have faded away and been for- 
gotten, but the power of this humble lay 
brother lives to-day. 

There is a record of his sayings tran- 
scribed by a priest who knew and admired 
him. It is a small unpretentious volume 
called "The Practice of the Presence of 
God." It stands as one of the best 
guides to the path of true wisdom and 
understanding. 

To acquire spiritual understanding, we 
must lose sight of all material goods and 
selfish aims. The road to uncertainty, 
and not to wisdom, lies in too much 
introspection, too much dissection of 
thoughts, actions and motives. This 
40 



KNOWLEDGE AND GOOD JUDGMENT 

causes us to become merely critical when 
our desire is to see clearly the things 
spiritual. 

We must be guided by the inner voice. 
It is only when we approach a subject 
humbly that we can hope to get knowl- 
edge of it. An arrogant, self-satisfied 
mind is not open to instruction. Even 
the most learned man may learn from the 
simplest things about him. 

We all have something to give to each 
other, often a simple help to knowledge. 
The wisest men are humble in proportion 
to their wisdom. 

Mrs. Militz says in her primary lessons 
in "Christian Living and Healing": 

"Ignorance is the cause of all evil 
manifestations and the grossest ignorance 
is to ascribe their origin to God." 

For the working out of life's problems, 
tools have been given to us and it is our 
duty to see that these are kept in good 
41 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

order. We must not over feed our 
bodies to the point where we become inac- 
tive or lazy. We must not over strain 
our nerves. We must not think injurious 
thoughts. 

Certainly, we do not believe in the use 
of medicines or drugs or stimulants, but 
we do believe in keeping our bodies in 
cleanliness and our appearance neat, 
for these conditions are necessary for 
our sense of harmony and beauty. 

Mrs. Militz says again: 

"To follow after the riches and wisdom 
of a world of change and decay is the 
act of one who tries to possess and control 
a shadow without knowledge of a hold 
upon the object back of it." 

Some of us, after landing from a ship, 
have experienced the sensation of the 
earth swaying under us and tossing as 
with the waves. Our judgment tells us 
that this sensation is a mere delusion but 
42 



KNOWLEDGE AND GOOD JUDGMENT 

as long as we cling to the sensation it is 
real to us. So it is with disease and 
misery and unhappiness. These are real 
only as we cling to the belief in them, and 
leave us when we turn to real knowledge 
and understanding. 

It is important for us to obtain the 
true knowledge, if we would divest our 
minds of all prejudices. Even if we 
cannot agree with our neighbor's belief, 
we must have respect for it. Prejudice 
and jealousy blind the spiritual eyes of 
which we have great need. 

Prejudice is among the most subtle and 
insidious of evils. We are quite apt to 
think that our prejudices are not prej- 
udices at all, but simply the result of 
good judgment and good breeding. This 
view was once expressed by a friend 
who said : 

M 1 have no prejudices but of course I 
know what is right.' ' 
43 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

It is only by severe mental training and 
earnest prayer, that we may come to a 
realization that our neighbor's belief is 
quite as sacred to him as our own belief 
is to us, and should be respected accord- 
ingly. 

Our own viewpoint is narrowed if we 
refuse to see and respect another's view- 
point. A lack of judgment is shown 
when we become heated in argument. 
When feeling ourselves yielding to such 
foolishness we should cease discussion. 
It is only when we are able to discuss our 
beliefs with calmness that we may get 
valuable light on matters not wholly 
clear to us, or that we may be able to 
clear doubts in the mind of another. 

Once, a woman, in speaking of another, 
said, "She is utterly without religion. 
She is no better than a heathen." 

This answer followed: "I think you 
are mistaken. She believes in New 
44 



KNOWLEDGE AND GOOD JUDGMENT 

Thought and is trying her best to live 
up to it." 

"That is a question I cannot discuss 
with you," was the indignant reply. 

The inference was that we, who are 
trying in all humility to put the teach- 
ings of Jesus into daily practice, are no 
better than heathen, and without religion. 
This illustrates the ease with which we 
blind ourselves. 

Jealousy also must be guarded against. 
When we come to understand that there 
is no separation, that the fountain of all 
good, all talent, all supply, is open to 
every one, we shall have no cause to envy 
our brother and no incentive to jealousy. 

When we love truly and without hope 
of reward, without any selfish desire, we 
shall not be jealous of the loved one. 

A mother who really loves her child 
will willingly give her to another when 
the child's happiness is involved. If 
45 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

this view were common, that jealous and 
rather envious character, the mother-in- 
law as portrayed in fiction, would be laid 
aside forever. 

These questions of prejudice and 
jealousy are, in the last analysis, ques- 
tions of selfishness and will be eliminated 
when we acquire unselfishness. 



46 



CASTING OUT FEAR 

IT'EAR is a state of apprehension or 
* expectancy of evil. If we believe 
and practice the presence of God, we 
eliminate fear because we know that 
where God exists there is no place or 
space for evil. In that condition we do 
not and can not fear. 

The truth is that we have not discarded 
fear because we have not come to fully 
realize the omnipresence of God. 

"That which I feared has come upon 
me." 

Naturally, our thought is most directed 
upon the object of our fear. Thought is 
the great attractive power. We attract 
the thing feared as we continually think 
of it. 

In learning to ride the bicycle, the 
pupil often collides with objects he wishes 
47 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

to avoid, because he keeps his mind on 
those objects. An instructor told his 
pupils to look away from the object they 
feared, and to keep their eyes fixed on 
the point they wished to reach. 

That advice holds good in the spiritual 
realm. If we would avoid errors we must 
not continually keep them in mind. Let 
us rather hold up to our vision the good 
that we desire to possess. 

The expectation of evil goes with fear. 
If we expect evil we are likely to attract 
it in some form. If we fear that a man 
is planning to cheat us, we are likely to 
express it in our manner. Then we may 
carry the suggestion to him, and thus 
bring upon ourselves that which we fear. 

One wonderful and striking illustration 
of this lesson lies in the great European 
War. For many years the nations 
involved feared, expected and awaited 
this terrible world tragedy. Finally that 
48 



CASTING OUT FEAR 

which they feared came upon them. 
Every one knows that it might have been 
avoided. It came because the thoughts 
of the various peoples concerned had 
been directed upon it for decades. 

It has been proved many times, that 
running away from that which we fear 
offers the easiest way to be overwhelmed 
by it. 

A story often told to me by my father, 
who was familiar with the facts, illus- 
trates this truth. More than fifty years 
ago, an epidemic of Asiatic cholera swept 
the country and came to Chicago. A 
well known Chicago physician was pos- 
sessed by such a fear of this disease that 
he refused to care for patients. When 
the first case appeared he packed his bag- 
gage and started for Europe. 

On board ship this physician was taken 
with what he thought were symptoms of 
the dread disease. He was so terrified 
49 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

that he died. The ship's physician in- 
sisted that the disease was not cholera 
and that there were no other cases 
aboard. Fear killed this man. No other 
Chicago physician died of cholera. 

There is no better illustration than that 
classic fable of the wise man who, while 
on his way to Bagdad, met the plague. 
The wise man asked the plague the pur- 
pose of his journey, and the answer was: 

"To kill five thousand men." 

When the wise man returned, he met 
the plague coming away from Bagdad. 
He said to the plague: 

"You said you were only going to kill 
five thousand men and now I hear you 
have killed fifty thousand/ ' 

"Oh, no!" replied the plague. "I 
only killed five thousand. Fear killed 
the others." 

There is literal truth in the familiar ex- 
pression, "Paralyzed with fear." When 
50 



CASTING OUT FEAR 

great fear seizes a person, the power 
of motion is suddenly removed. Stage 
fright causes the brain to cease its func- 
tions, dries the throat so that no words 
come. Fear blanches the cheek and 
causes the hair to rise. It causes con- 
traction of the muscles and brings on 
various diseases. 

Asthma is mostly caused by fear. 
People who fear colds are more likely to 
contract them than others. A woman 
once boasted that each winter she had 
four serious colds which she feared, and 
awaited, and they never failed her. 

To inspire fear in children is wicked and 
unnecessary. A nurse who tells terrify- 
ing tales to her charges is cruel. Many 
children have been made cowards for life 
by such treatment. Parents who rule 
children by fear, rather than by love, 
lose much of the joy of life and often start 
children downward on the road to ruin. 
51 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

We were once taught that we should 
fear God, and thus an abject and grovel- 
ing attitude was regarded as religious and 
holy. We are struggling for release from 
that erroneous thought but the elimina- 
tion is not easy. 

Fear is removed by a full realization 
of the Omnipresence, but before that 
realization comes our fears may bring 
many tortures. 

There is an old story of a monk who 
opened a coffin where a dead abbot lay, 
in order to remove a valuable ring on 
the dead man's finger. The robber's 
robe was caught by a nail as he turned to 
leave, and he was held. The monk died 
then and there of fright. 

Mothers who fear to send their children 
to school because of microbes do much to 
attract these microbes to their children. 



52 



HEALING 

HPO be healed is to be made whole. 

When one is made whole, not the 

body alone but the soul as well is healed. 

There are many methods of healing 
but there is only one healer. There is 
but one source from which all healing 
comes. 

A patient is acting within his rights if 
he chooses a physician or surgeon, or uses 
drugs or the knife. God is the healer 
regardless of all methods. We need not 
condemn these methods or quarrel with 
those who use them. The source of 
healing may be reached in countless ways. 

It seems to us, however, that the more 
sensible, the more direct, the more simple 
way is to go straight to the only healer, 
to the source itself. Then we may avoid 
the danger and terror of operations 
53 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

without the after effects of drugs. Drugs, 
at the best, are uncertain and far from 
the source of all healing. 

In the early days of Christianity, heal- 
ing through the spirit was common. The 
teaching of Jesus on this line was very 
positive. He sent forth not only the 
twelve apostles, but also the seventy, and 
they returned amazed at the power of 
their word. 

Jesus gave instructions that all who fol- 
lowed him should "heal the sick, cleanse 
the lepers, and raise the dead. ,, He told 
them to do precisely as he did, because 
he was not different from the rest of 
humanity. He said that we were one 
with him and one with the Father. 

For three hundred years after Christ 
this teaching was faithfully followed. 
Healing was constantly practiced by 
Christians. It was not until the lust for 
power and the greed for gold entered the 
54 



HEALING 

church that healing was abandoned as a 
necessary part of the practice of Chris- 
tianity. Even then there arose great 
souls who lived the perfect Christian life 
and did exactly as the Master taught. 
Healing was not considered by the early 
Christians as a mark of special sanctity, 
but rather as a natural and legitimate 
consequence of following Jesus. 

The Master shows very plainly that 
neither special formula nor practice is 
necessary. He does show that faith, 
love, concentration and hope are very 
essential. Peter, James and John, the 
three disciples standing for faith, hope 
and love, were with Jesus when he accom- 
plished his greatest healing. 

Jesus often went apart and concen- 
trated his thought on the spirit, where, 
indeed, his thought was always turned. 
Jesus was always faithful. He proved 
that it is faithfulness, and not experience, 
55 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

that gives the greatest power of healing. 
Effects are produced by realization and 
not by time. 

No rules may be given for the treat- 
ment of patients beyond the general rules 
that insist upon purity of thought, faith, 
hope, love, honesty and sincerity. Each 
patient must be treated in a manner that 
will reach him and might not reach his 
neighbor. The spirit guides both healer 
and patient. The patient could not 
come for spiritual healing if the Holy 
Spirit did not guide him. 

We often hear one say, " I have not 
much faith in your methods, but I de- 
cided to try your treatment because I 
could not see how I would be injured/ ' 

That does not sound like faith, yet one 

would not have come at all unless one 

had some faith, some hope, some love. 

We must never refuse help, no matter if 

that help|bears little fruit. 

56 



HEALING 

In treatment, it is necessary for the 
healer to become quiet to concentrate his 
whole being on the spirit, to await very 
humbly for the guidance of the spirit and 
to follow that guidance obediently. The 
words we are led to speak are not our 
words; the thoughts are not our thoughts. 
These words and thoughts belong to the 
Spirit. In proportion as we are able to 
give the words and thoughts of the Spirit 
with faith and earnestness, so the healing 
goes out. 

Sometimes the Master spoke the word 
when at a distance from his patient, 
and such was his power that instant 
healing followed. Sometimes, the patient 
was healed by a touch of his hand. 
Very often he required the patient to 
make a definite effort of his own ac- 
cord. 

"Take up thy bed and walk/' 

"Go and sin no more." 
57 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

"Go show yourselves to the priests and 
fulfill the law of Moses." 

Once the Master was known to mix 
clay and spittle, probably because he saw 
that this particular patient needed the 
aid of something that he could feel. 
Many people think they are not being 
helped unless they can see, touch or 
swallow something. They are weak in 
faith. If the Spirit so guides, you may 
give them what they desire. Thus they 
are satisfied and the way is open to the 
real healing which has no connection with 
these external things. 

Many physicians have given to patients 
bread pills coated with sugar, and with 
excellent results. Only the faith of the 
patient produced the cure. 

If the touch of a hand quiets a patient 

and removes pain, why withhold that 

comfort? The person's hand does not 

heal. The healing comes from the divine 

58 



HEALING 

Spirit reaching through that channel. 
Jesus often employed that method but 
many of his greatest cures were made 
through absent treatments. The Cen- 
turion's servant was healed instantly by 
the absent treatment of the spoken word, 
and Jesus remarked on the wonderful 
faith of the Roman soldier. 

When the lepers came to Jesus he did 
not relieve them instantly from their 
troubles, but sent them to do that which 
the law prescribed, namely, to show 
themselves to the priests, to bathe and 
to be received again into the haunts of 
men. On the way, while obeying Jesus, 
all ten were healed. One only, a stranger, 
returned to give thanks. That was 
about the proportion of gratitude shown 
by those helped, and explains why many 
who have been healed fall back later into 
the same trouble. 

If those who have been healed would 
59 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

give thanks to the Holy Spirit and 
remember the great blessings bestowed, 
they would remain healed and would not 
fall again into the same error. 



60 



THE POWER OF THE WORD 

IN studying this outline of a method 
* of right thinking, and consequently 
of right living, we must keep with us 
constantly the realization of the omni- 
presence of God. That is important 
above all things. It is the basis of every- 
thing and must be accepted in the fullest 
meaning. 

The Psalmist asks: 

M Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? 
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 
If I ascend up to heaven thou art there; 
if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou 
art there/ ' 

As man is God's image and likeness, 
God is with him wherever he goes. God 
is all good and if we made his omni- 
presence a reality in our consciousness, 
61 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

there would be neither sin, sickness nor 
death. 

How may we apply this basic idea of 
omnipresence to our everyday life? If 
we are to have the benefits, we must 
make the application in all events, under 
all circumstances, conditions and environ- 
ments. 

The spoken word creates conditions. 
It conveys meaning to the listener, and 
from this arises nearly everything that is 
accomplished by man. 

But behind the word is the thought 
which is the real creative force. The 
thought must precede the word. The 
reality must first be pictured and worked 
out in the architect's mind. Thought, 
then, is the prime mover in all creation. 

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so 
is he." 

Sin, sickness and death follow unwise 
thinking. Thoughts of disease should be 
62 



THE POWER OF THE WORD 

replaced by thoughts of health. It is an 
established fact that people who read 
medical works, and especially young 
medical students, often fear that the dis- 
ease of which they read has become 
fastened upon them. They look for 
symptoms. A physical disturbance fol- 
lows, though this may not always be 
related to the special subject of study. 

The old saying, that a little knowledge 
is a dangerous thing, is as true of spiritual 
thought as of chemistry. 

If we fail to make practical, everyday 
use of our power of thought, along these 
lines, we are likely to act foolishly and 
to irritate people. If we show too much 
enthusiasm, too much energy and per- 
sistence, we often turn people away from 
a possible study of the great truth, and 
so fail in our purpose of interesting 
them. 

If we are earnest, we must live the truth 
63 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

as nearly as we are able. It is time to 
speak, when we are interrogated. 

If we are to make our words helpful, 
we must rid our minds of intolerance. 
That is absolutely essential. The truth 
is that not one of us is better than the 
other. The idea that we are superior is 
a most pernicious thought. The world's 
greatest persecutions have resulted from 
it. 

Some of us are blind to the truth, the 
eyes of others are opened a trifle, but 
intrinsically each is the child of God and 
made of the same substance. If we are 
to be channels for healing and for the 
spread of the Divine light, prejudice must 
go. 

Our thoughts must be systematic, 
orderly, or, in a word, scientific. Science 
is not confined wholly to material things 
but is applicable to the spirit. After a 
truth has been demonstrated to our 
64 



THE POWER OF THE WORD 

satisfaction, our words will speak only 
the truth, as our thoughts hold it. Our 
knowledge of the truth may be arranged 
so that our words will carry power and 
conviction. 

Our thoughts must be concentrated to 
be efficacious. We must think clearly 
and specifically of that which we wish to 
demonstrate. All else must be excluded. 

As Divine Spirit is all pure, holy, good, 
so we must think only pure, holy and 
good thoughts if we would bring forth 
right conditions. We never reach posi- 
tive results by dwelling upon the negative 
side. That is why we, who believe in 
the power of thought, must not allow our 
thoughts to concentrate upon evil, sin 
and disease. 

Depressing thoughts breed disease. 

Let the sunshine flood your mentality. 

Do not say that you are stupid or dull or 

unhappy. Realize that you are a part 

65 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

of the great Spirit, and not an insig- 
nificant personality. When you merge 
that personality into the great and holy 
Spirit, the creative power, gloom is dis- 
persed and life made beautiful. Love 
and truth, joy and happiness, are beauti- 
ful because they are the expression of 
Deity. 

Therefore, words are concrete thoughts. 
As thoughts are of value so the words 
will be of value. Prayers are thoughts, 
and all of our thoughts should be prayers. 
We may pray without ceasing only when 
every thought, every breath is a prayer. 

Prayer is not necessarily a spoken 
word; it does not mean any special atti- 
tude. Prayer means only a conscious 
connection with the Holy Spirit. We do 
not do away with prayer, as some accuse 
us of doing. We simply increase prayer 
until it takes in all of life. Of what value 
is the repetition of words if these words 
66 



THE POWER OF THE WORD 

are not the expression of thought? 
Words merely repeated, parrot-like, mean 
nothing. The Chinese still have prayer 
wheels, and believe by turning them 
around they please their gods. Our God 
is Spirit, and must be served and prayed 
to in the spirit and worshiped in thought 
and in mind. We must realize our one- 
ness with the great Divine Mind to be 
able to use creative words that will carry 
a message. 



67 



FORGIVENESS 

HPHE meaning of forgiveness is made 
A clear, and becomes very vital when 
we transpose the syllables into give-for. 
If we give love for hate, joy for sadness, 
strength for weakness, health for disease, 
then we may be said to be going about on 
the Master's business. 

Forgiveness takes many forms. We 
must forgive our fellow men, we must 
forgive ourselves and forgive circum- 
stances. 

To forgive one for an injury seems 
difficult, but if we regard the subject 
from the spiritual viewpoint, we will 
soon become convinced that we have not 
been injured to the degree that we had 
supposed. The act may have been done 
without intention of injury. The injury 
may not have been very great, and 
69 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

possibly we may have derived real benefit 
from it. Indeed, the injury may have 
brought us to an understanding of our- 
selves that we would not have reached 
without it. It is our duty to release any 
trouble very soon. 

There is nothing that causes more 
worry to the average American house- 
keeper than the servant question. If we 
regarded this question from the view- 
point of common sense, we would find 
that a very great part of the trouble is 
to be found with the housekeeper. The 
problem would be solved, if we gave 
patience for impatience, tolerance for 
intolerance, kindness for irritation, gentle 
speech for harsh expression of irritation. 

Then, too, we must forgive ourselves. 
We are all human. We continually fall 
back into bad habits, and at such times 
are likely to become angry with ourselves 
because of our weaknesses. That is not 
70 



FORGIVENESS 

wise. We should learn to forgive our- 
selves, and in our desire to avoid repeti- 
tion of the error, we should put it away 
from our thoughts and begin over again. 

An error is made tenfold worse if we 
brood over it. For brooding and self 
condemnation, which bring disease and 
discomfort, we must substitute renewed 
effort to avoid evil. 

We must learn to be tolerant with 
our circumstances. It is not wise to 
become wrathful against our environ- 
ments, against the things of life that 
seem hard to bear, against annoyances 
that seem to us either great or small. 
If we think rightly, we will find good in 
the greatest difficulties. The evil in 
them is the result of wrong thinking. If 
we give patience for impatience, calm- 
ness for irritation, teaching for ignorance, 
pleasant companionship for arrogance, we 
will solve the problem. 
71 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

A lasting impression was left by this 
observation of a friend: 

"You women expect your servants to 
be competent, intelligent, well mannered, 
hard working, honest, truthful, good 
humored, willing to help in every way. 
Are you sure that you yourselves possess 
all these virtues"? 

We can see clearly the selfishness of a 
woman who expects these treasures to be 
lavished upon her simply because she 
pays wages. Money cannot pay for such 
virtues. The affairs of the household 
run smoothly only when the housekeeper 
will do her share. 

The most important element of for- 
giveness is the willingness to forget. 
Often one says, "I can forgive but I 
cannot forget." 

That person states a falsehood. Either 
he forgets and allows the past to bury 
its dead, or he has not forgiven. While 
72 



FORGIVENESS 

we hold to the thought of a trouble we 
have not forgiven the person causing it. 

Anger over real or imaginary evil 
causes bad blood, in a literal sense. 
Scientists have repeatedly shown that 
anger generates an actual poison. Elmer 
Gates has found poison in the saliva of 
an angry man, and has in turn found the 
saliva free from poison when the man 
was calm. 

The poison that enters our blood as the 
result of anger, shows itself in some form 
of disease in the body. This may be 
serious or light, but the manifestation 
will surely follow. 

It is difficult to forgive sarcasm or 
cutting words. To meet that we should 
send a thought of love, and say 
silently : 

* You do not wish to injure me. You 
realize your divine brotherhood with me. 
I love you and you love me." 
73 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

That treatment works with wonderful 
rapidity. 

Our great example is found in the man- 
ner with which Jesus met sin. He was 
gentle and forgiving when he talked to 
the woman in Samaria. He did not 
condone her offenses, but he was forgiv- 
ing to the sinner. He said that sins 
committed in thought were as serious as 
those committed in act, but that all sins 
are forgiven when taken up and replaced 
by virtues. 

Often his healing was performed by the 
words, "Go and sin no more. ,, 

When the scribes and pharisees wished 
to stone the woman taken in adultery, 
Jesus quietly said, "Let him who is with- 
out sin cast the first stone/' One by 
one, these arrogant men slunk away as 
each saw his own particular sin written 
in the sand by his Master. 

To the woman who was left alone 
74 



FORGIVENESS 

with the only one who was sinless, Jesus 
said, "Hath no man condemned thee? 
Neither do I. Go in peace and sin no 
more." 

Jesus also forgave those who tortured 
and killed his body. Certainly that 
great teacher taught forgiveness in its 
highest and most beautiful form. 

When Peter asked Jesus how many 
times he should forgive, and whether it 
should be as many as seven times. Jesus 
answered: 

" I say not unto thee seven times, but 
seventy times seven." 

That meant an unlimited number be- 
cause, if he forgave seventy times, the 
habit would be fixed and he would con- 
tinue to forgive until the end. When 
he had forgiven seventy times seven, 
he would have forgotten the nature of 
the original offense. 

It is essential that we should make 
75 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

forgiveness a constant thought. We 
should daily forgive all who seem to 
be authors of our troubles, and forget 
the troubles as well. 



76 



PRAYER 

/^\UR understanding of the meaning 
^^ of prayer differs from that of the 
dictionary definition in that we regard 
prayer as an intimate, holy communion 
with the fountain of our being, rather 
than as an act of beseeching, entreating, 
supplicating. 

God is omnipresent in us, around us, 
everywhere at all times. We cannot 
instruct this all-inclusive Spirit with re- 
gard to our needs, or his attributes. As 
we cannot increase the flow of life from 
this fountain because it is infinite, why 
beg that increase? 

All that we may do is to increase our 
own capacity of drinking from that foun- 
tain. We may go to the fountain with a 
larger receptacle and fill it to the brim, 
11 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

but that neither diminishes nor arrests 
the infinite life flow. 

Begging God to make us know Him 
will not furnish the insight we desire; 
we ourselves must make the effort to 
know and understand. Each effort car- 
ries one a little farther on the path of 
enlightenment. Nothing worth while is 
obtained without labor. 

Prayer, in the right meaning, is a most 
essential part of the worth-while life. 
The simple repetition of formulae is far 
from that. If words help concentration, 
let us use them and for that purpose only. 
Jesus referred to vain repetitions as of 
no value. 

A mere supplication to God to forgive 
our sins will not help. We must first 
give up sin. Sin is forgiven when it is 
destroyed. God is too pure to behold 
iniquity. 

No general definition of sin may be 
7S 



PRAYER 

applied. A plurality of wives is to us a 
heinous crime, but to a Turk it is a reli- 
gious duty to have as many wives as he 
can support. 

Each person must have a realization of 
the things that need forgiveness and 
rectification. Each must go to this work 
by praying for more light, to make the 
effort in silence for instruction from the 
Holy Spirit and to follow that instruction 
as perfectly as possible. 

To pray for punishment for our sins 
is foolish. God does not punish. Each 
act is followed by its logical consequences 
which are not punishments, but the 
natural and plain working out of a law 
that is not cruel but beneficent. What 
seems to us punishment often provides 
the best avenue of escape from our sinful 
condition. As love is just and God is 
love, so all law of God is love and the 
result is a beautiful harmony. 
79 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

Sincerity is needed in prayer above all 
things. Earnestness and sincerity con- 
stitute the only value of prayer. 

Louis XI of France was a brilliant 
statesman but a cruel, ruthless man. He 
believed that prayer could cover all 
things. He even prayed for pardon for 
sins before they were committed, saying: 

"Dear Virgin, if you will help me to 
entrap and torture and kill these men I 
will give you a new robe or jewel/ ' 

The Pharisees fasted, and gave alms, 
and prayed on the streets to be seen of 
men. That spirit is manifested in many 
other ways in this time, so that the 
authors may be considered godly. 

Humility is necessary in our attitude 
toward the Holy Spirit, but this should 
not take an attitude of groveling or 
cringing. We should keep in mind that 
beautiful thought, "Of myself I can do 
nothing," which recognizes the power 
80 



PRAYER 

within which can do all things. It is 
humility with self-respect because we are 
the children of God. 

Self-examination is necessary at times, 
but introspection is likely to lead to 
morbidity and is therefore both unwise 
and unhealthy. We may never reach 
our ideals, for these grow higher as we 
advance into the spiritual life, but by 
endeavoring to attain them we have 
always before us the hope that leads to a 
higher expression of what we know to be 
perfection of the Holy Spirit. 

Self-examination should not discourage 
us, no matter how many faults we find 
within ourselves. We must know that 
God is with us with help at hand when- 
ever we desire it. We will not despair 
when we remember the faults of Peter 
and Paul and the heights to which they 
attained. 

Jesus told us to pray without ceasing, 
81 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

but he never told us to do the impossible. 
Obviously, he did not mean the use of 
special words or a special attitude or a 
special place. Unceasing prayer in that 
respect would be impossible. He meant 
by that command that we must conse- 
crate our every word, our every thought, 
our every action to the Holy Spirit. To 
do this, we must live to the highest and 
best standard of our ability. 

We must control our hasty tempers, 
control our appetites, be bright and 
happy and radiate joy on all sides. We 
must cultivate sweetness and harmony in 
our homes. We must do our work wher- 
ever it may be found, in the spirit of 
cheerfulness and with our best efforts. 

To pray without ceasing, is to live 
always and consciously in communion 
with the Holy Spirit. We do not need 
to be alone. We can school ourselves to 
the silent communion in a crowd as well 
82 



PRAYER 

as in a desert but we must be quite honest 
with ourselves and with God. That is 
elementary. 

Supply then is not something that God 
gives to us; it is that which God is and is, 
therefore, ever present. 



83 



CONCENTRATION 

/CONCENTRATION has been well 
^-^ defined as the "divine art of center- 
ing our mind what upon we please, as 
long as we please/ ' 

There is nothing so important in the 
training of a child as the cultivation of 
this power of concentration. Nothing in 
the child's training is more neglected. 
The practice of finishing a work before 
another is undertaken, and keeping the 
attention fixed upon it, is of immeasur- 
able value. 

Quite as important is the decision of an 
object or subject upon which the mind 
shall be concentrated. If we focus upon 
fear, then fear becomes our one great 
thought. If we focus upon good we 
become good. In a word, if we train our 
85 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

thoughts to dwell habitually upon one 
thing, we become like that thing. The 
thought becomes a part of one's self. 
Focusing the mind upon universal per- 
fection gives large views and makes for 
broadness and perfection. 

The truth we are endeavoring to teach 
requires complete devotion, entire con- 
centration. Perfect consecration helps 
to acquire the power to concentrate. 
Once the thought of omnipresence has 
taken possession of a soul, the thought is 
habitually turned in that direction. 

The power to focus thought when fully 
developed, brings a clearer spiritual and 
material vision. Our spiritual and mate- 
rial senses are both sharpened and refined. 
This power is of vital importance in the 
healing of disease. 

To concentrate truly, we should go 
into silence, though this practice may be 
abused. In silence we should first rid 
86 



CONCENTRATION 

our minds of all thoughts of selfishness, 
greed, sensuality. We must cleanse our 
minds of earthly dross and prepare a 
dwelling place for the Most High. 

Emily Cady says : 

"At the great heart of humanity there 
is a great and awful home-sickness which 
never has been and never can be satisfied 
with anything less than a clear and vivid 
consciousness of the in-dwelling presence 
of God." 

This departure into silence must be 
orderly, if practical benefits are to be 
had. At first, no one can remain in 
silence for a long period of time without 
permitting the thoughts to wander. It 
is a matter requiring much practice. 

One should select a half hour or so when 
one may best be quiet, alone in a room or 
out in the fresh air. What is distraction 
to one is help to another. The condi- 
tions are a matter of personal choice. 
87 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

For some, the early morning is best for 
silent, concentrated thought. 

Choose a thought that appeals strong- 
est either of love or life, gladness or peace. 
As an aid to concentration, repeat words 
which bring to mind that upon which you 
desire to focus your thought. If it is 
peace, say over many times, " Peace, 
peace, peace be still, be still and know 
that I am God." 

Gradually peace comes over you and 
you realize the great, deep, holy peace of 
the Spirit. If the feeling of peace comes 
only for a moment, that moment is 
precious. 

Perhaps your thoughts will wander to 
many things beyond that on which you 
are endeavoring to focus. Do not be- 
come irritated or indignant. Know that 
you will do better another time. If 
during the day your mind will return 
to the thought of peace, you will be 
88 



CONCENTRATION 

aided, regardless of how many disturbing 
thoughts arise. Make this period of 
silence a daily habit. It is well worth 
while. 

Cultivate the habit of taking all prob- 
lems into this hour of silence, place them 
before the Holy Spirit, ask for guidance 
and wait. You will surely be guided in 
one form or another. 

As no two people are alike, so no two 
ever receive spiritual guidance in the 
same form. To most of us comes a lead- 
ing or urging quite as powerful and as 
positive as words. 

We should take with us into silence a 
spirit of humility. It is necessary that 
we learn the meaning of the words, "Of 
myself I can do nothing/ ' 

We must realize that it is only as we 

lose our small, personal selves that we 

find the greater self, the Omnipresent 

Spirit. We must willingly set aside our 

89 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

own small judgment and follow the larger, 
greater wisdom of the Holy Spirit. 

Mrs. Militz tells us that when she was 
beginning her career as a teacher and 
healer, a woman came to her for help. 
In the silence Mrs. Militz heard the com- 
mand to tell the woman to go to bed and 
rest, to eat wholesome food and drop all 
work. The young healer felt that such 
a command could not be serious because 
it was such advice as any physician 
might give, and so she refrained from 
giving this plain common-sense instruc- 
tion. 

The woman left and went on with her 
arduous work. She never returned to the 
healer and soon afterward passed away. 

In the silence Mrs. Militz asked for an 
explanation and received the word that 
obedience was better than sacrifice. 
Since then she has always obeyed, and 
her work is tremendous. 
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CONCENTRATION 

The leading of the Holy Spirit will 
come to each of us if we humbly seek it 
in the secret place of the Most High. We 
need never fear to follow that lead. 



91 



HEAVEN AND HELL 

A S the keystone of our faith is the 
* * Omnipresence of God, it becomes 
wholly impossible for us to conceive of a 
personal God who could be everywhere 
present. Then, too, a personal God as 
accepted by many religions has human 
passions and desires that are incompatible 
with the idea of Omnipresence. 

We believe that as God is omnipresent, 
and in every particle of matter or spirit, 
that God as a creative force, must be 
Good. It is impossible to conceive of 
a creative force that is wicked; such a 
force would be destructive rather than 
creative. 

As this Infinite creative power must of 
necessity be beneficent, we put the 
thought into words and say simply, God 
is Good, God is the all-good. 
93 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

While there is no human science to 
prove that God is, every human science 
is founded on that fact. We know that 
we live and breathe and that we were 
born into this world through no efforts 
of our own. We know that we did not 
plan our entrance into this world, nor did 
we choose our parentage or environment. 
Yet all this must have been thought out, 
planned and executed in its minutest 
details by a great creative power which 
must be omnipresent, since its works are 
everywhere. 

As this creative force made us of the 
substance which was in and of itself, so 
we must realize that there can be no 
separation between Spirit and substance 
or matter. If God is omnipresent, then 
he is present in matter, and the spiritual 
and material man are one. 

The Holy Spirit created this universe 
as an expression of His own life and 
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HEAVEN AND HELL 

substance. We cannot, with all our 
science, give life to anything. Life is 
something apart from our bodies. Life 
cannot die. Life is God. Life is Spirit. 
God is life, and that life lives in us. 

The omnipresent Spirit that has given 
to us all the wonderful things of life is all 
Good. All good cannot be perfect with- 
out love. So we say, God is love which 
permeates all nature. 

All things work under a wonderful 
system of law and order. All things are 
done wisely and well. The creative 
force of all this is absolutely intelligent. 
This intelligence comprises all wisdom, 
all knowledge, all understanding. Our 
small human intelligence is of the same 
substance as that of the Spirit, but one is 
infinite and the other is finite. We are 
in God, in the Infinite Intelligence, and 
are able to receive fully and abundantly 
of that intelligence. 

95 



THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

We accept the saying, "God is power," 
because this creative force must of neces- 
sity have infinite power. Power includes 
strength, so the source of all our power, 
of all our strength, is infinite Spirit. 

There would be no incentive to creation 
without joy; therefore, this infinite crea- 
tive force must have all joy in it because 
it is all present and all inclusive. 

We who believe are convinced that 
God is all substance and spirit, all life 
and nature. God is all intelligence 
which includes all wisdom, knowledge 
and understanding. God is all power 
and joy, all strength and realization. 

What to us is the meaning of heaven? 
If God is omnipresent, he cannot be in 
one place. We conclude, therefore, that 
heaven is not a place but a state of con- 
sciousness. 

We make our own heaven. Heaven is 
a conscious realization of our oneness 
96 



HEAVEN AND HELL 

with the Holy Spirit, that we are of the 
substance of the spirit and that each and 
every one of our activities is of the Spirit. 
That heaven is to be had here and now. 

When we are in this spiritual state in 
this heaven, we have all power, all 
strength. We can use that power only 
for good. The use of it gives a sense of 
peace and happiness. That brings us 
into perfect joy, perfect realization. 
That is heaven and is of our own making. 

Hell, like heaven, is a state of consci- 
ousness, and not a place of torture. We 
make our own hell. The Holy Spirit is 
omnipresent, but if we so elect, we may 
shut ourselves from the consciousness of 
that presence. This state may be com- 
pared to that of a person who shuts his 
eyes and refuses to see the sunlight that 
may be all about him. 

We deliberately place ourselves in hell 
when we permit our thoughts to dwell 
97 






THE DIVINE ART OF LIVING 

on the negative and unhappy side. 
When we think of disease and yield to 
illness it is because, at one time or 
another, we have yielded to sin. If sin 
were eliminated from human life there 
would be neither sickness nor death. 

When we eliminate the personal God, 
we necessarily eliminate the material 
heaven and hell. It is our duty to 
create our own heaven and to live in it. 
If that is done we need have nothing to 
fear from hell. 



98 



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